Foo Fighters prove lasting power with ‘Wasting Light’

The Foo Fighters are back with the brand new album “Wasting Light,” which was released this past week. Although the Foo Fighters have been classified as a rock group, the album features an eclectic blend of punk, independent, arena, and everything in between.

Dropping their seventh album in 17 years, the Foo Fighters offer perhaps their most personal record yet. Almost serving as a “reunion” album of sorts, front-man Dave Grohl reunites with guest Bassist Krist Novoselic, both of Nirvana fame. The two perform on the track “I Should Have Known,” where Grohl beckons “I should have known / that it would end this way / I should have known / there was no other way” between emotional bursts of guitar and bass accompaniment that haunt the listener, in the best way possible.

Also joining the Foo Fighters is guitarist Pat Smear, who has not been featured as an official member of the Foo since 1997’s “The Colour and the Shape.” He completes the guitarist trifecta found in the new album, that provides the strongest guitar play by the Foo yet.

Recorded entirely in Dave Grohl’s garage as opposed to the band’s own custom studio, the band gives what producer Butch Vig promised months ago: “the heaviest album yet.” Through their first single “Rope,” the group belts out a track with all the makings of a 1970’s rock hit. “White Limo” goes even further, producing a punk rock style that would make metal heads proud.

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But rather than producing an album of nothing but rock hits, Grohl has come to learn that a successful album is multi-layered, with each coating revealing itself upon every listen. “Walk” has an arena style that takes U2’s style of play and turns it into their own. “Arlandria” intially comes off as a simple rock track, but takes the listener for a ride of sporadic emotions, from ecstatic during the chorus to personal in the verse.

In a time where Lady Gaga continues to create pop hit-after-hit, and dubstep is becoming the only sound to come out of any dorm or house party, the Foo Fighters continue to remind rock alumni of what shook the latter half of the 20th century, and what will continue to be a presence in the 21st.